How To Find A Local Contractor That’s Honest, Inexpensive, and Does Top Notch Work

If the thought of trying to find an honest contractor intimidates you, one that puts in an honest days work for a more than fair price… than this is the page that sets your mind at ease.

With so many horror stories about dishonest contractors disappearing in the middle of the night, and doing improvements that aren’t up to code, who could blame you for being uneasy with the process?

How To Set Yourself At Ease

It’s actually pretty simple to keep yourself from getting fleeced. The first step is to ask your friends to references. I’m sure you have friends and neighbors that are extremely satisfied with contractors that they have used in the last few years. Those are your best leads.

Your second best source of leads is from the internet. There is an entire community of people just like you that have banded together to share their experience with local handymen on the internet. It’s called Angie’s List and for at least the next few days the coupon code SAVE25 will get you 25% off their service.

How To Collect Price Quotes

The most important thing about getting quotes is to give everyone the exact same information. If one contractor quotes you using Silestone countertops and another quotes you with Cambria you’ll be drawn to the cheaper price.

While cheaper is often better, that’s not usually the case with remodeling. Supply each handyman with the same brand, color, edge details, etc. so that you can compare apples to apples. Don’t worry, you can always change it after you select your contractor.

How Many Quotes To Get

Get a price from at least three companies. The more the better because it will help you get a better handle on what the job should really cost you.

If one is priced much lower or much higher than the others I would immediately disqualify them. If you’ve supplied them with the same information, all of the prices should come back in the same neighborhood.

When getting prices don’t forget to get the company name and license number so that you can verify it, make sure they are insured, and check the Better Business Bureau.

How Much To Pay Up Front

How much to pay depends on how large the job is and how much you feel comfortable laying out.

For a small job I like to pay half up front and the other half when I am completely satisfied with the work that has been done. Once you’ve made that final payment it’s hard to get them to come back.

If you are remodeling your entire kitchen than I would break the payment up into a few more milestones. Three or four should it. For example you could pay 25% up front, 25% after the cabinets are installed, 25% after the countertop and appliances are installed, and the final payment could be made when you are completely satisfied.

Now that you’re ready to protect yourself from unscrupulous contractors, it’s time to take the first step and find out what local contractors you can trust. Sure you can open up the phone book and call around, hoping to get lucky, or you can cut right to the chase and find local contractors that do quality work at a great price.

Living in today’s world, where pollution is almost everywhere, you are faced with the struggle to safeguard your family and the environment, but you can choose environmentally friendly when remodeling. [ read more... ]